Card

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a card having a card base body ( 20 ) and a plastic layer ( 30 ) joined thereto. According to the invention, the delimiting edge(s) of the plastic layer ( 30 ) is/are set back from the card edge(s) and comprise(s) projections that terminate with the edge(s) of the card base body ( 20 ) in a flush manner.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This is a 35 U.S.C. §371 National Stage of International Application No.PCT/IB2003/02039, filed on May 27, 2003. Priority is claimed on thatapplication and on the following application:

-   -   Country: Germany, Application No. 202 08 278.4 Filed: May 27,        2002.

The invention pertains to a card, comprising at least one layer oflaminate and a layer of plastic, preferably printed, which is bonded tothe laminate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A card of this type is described in, for example, EP 0 669 214 B1. Thiscard comprises a finished base card, which has been die-cut to the finaldimensions. A printed plastic layer, also with its final dimensions, islaid on the base card and attached to it by welding. The base cardconsisting of at least one layer of laminate and the printed plasticlayer arranged on top of it have the same final dimensions. In manycases, these types of cards are also produced by laminating a base cardand, for example, a piece of printed plastic film together and by diecutting the composite card thus obtained to bring it to its finaldimensions. In the case of this card as well, the edges of the plasticfilm terminates precisely at the edge of the card.

Terminating the edges of the plastic film so that its edges are flushwith the edges of the card is problematic with respect to the productionof these cards. Either the plastic film must be of exactly the same sizeas the card and be positioned very precisely thereon, or the plasticfilm and the card must undergo a final die cutting operation.

Terminating the edges of the plastic film so that its edges are flushwith the edges of the card is also problematic because of thepossibility that frequent use of the card can lead to damage to theplastic film precisely in the area of the edges. Such damage can evenmake it possible for the plastic film to peel off at least partiallyfrom the card. Information printed on the plastic film can therefore belost, for example, and damage of this type to the card is alsoundesirable from an aesthetic standpoint.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is therefore based on the problem of improving a card ofthe general type in question so that it can be produced easily, so thatthe previously described problems can be eliminated, and especially sothat the plastic layer on the card cannot be damaged or peeled off evenunder conditions of frequent use.

This task is accomplished according to the invention with a card of thetype described above in that the boundary edge/edges of the plasticlayer is/are set back from the edge/edges of the card and has/haveprojections, which terminate flush with the edge/edges of the card.

Because the plastic layer has a smaller surface area than the card,damage to the plastic layer is prevented precisely in the edge areas ofthe card subject to especially severe stress. The projections make itpossible to position the plastic layer precisely on the card during theproduction process, and a much smaller degree of precision is requiredthan for the cards according to the state of the art, for which theplastic layer is precut to the final dimensions of the card.

Both the card and the plastic layer preferably also have a rectangularshape with preferably rounded corners, where the edges of the plasticlayer are set back from the edges of the card and where at least twoprojections are provided on each of the four sides of the rectangleformed by the plastic layer. This design of the plastic layer makes itpossible to position it on the laminate layer in an especiallyadvantageous manner.

The projections advantageously have a rounded form. The rounded formmakes it possible for the plastic layer to make more-or-less point-wisecontact with the edges of the laminate layer, which reduces the dangerof damage to the plastic layer and the danger of its separation to aminimum.

The plastic layer can be printed in a mirror-reversed manner on the sidefacing the card body or in a non-mirror-reversed manner on the sidefacing away from the card body.

The card base body and the plastic layer are preferably welded together,with the result that it is practically impossible for the plastic layerto come loose from the card base body.

Additional advantages and features of the invention are the object ofthe following description and of the drawings, which show an exemplaryembodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The FIGURE shows a schematic diagram of a card according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A card, designated overall by the number 10, has a card base body 20,which comprises at least one layer of laminate, and a plastic layer 30,which is welded or laminated to the base body. The minimum of one layerof laminate forming the card base body 20 has an essentially rectangularshape with 4 edges 21, 22, 23, 24, each of which forms one side of therectangle. The plastic layer 30 also has a rectangular shape conformingto that of the card base body 20 with the edges 31, 32, 33, 34, whichalso form the sides of a rectangle.

Projections 35 are provided on each of the edges 31, 32, 33, 34 of theplastic layer, such as a printed piece of PVC film. Two suchprojections, for example, can be provided on each of the four sides.These projections are used to position the plastic layer on the cardbase body 20 during the production of the card 10. These projections 35have a rounded, possibly circular, shape. Because of this rounded,possibly circular, shape, it is ensured that, in practice, theprojections of the plastic layer 30 terminate flush with the edges 21,22, 23, 24 of the card base body 20 at only a single point in each case.This prevents damage to the plastic layer as a result of, for example,scuffing, which can occur especially when the card 10 is subjected tovery intensive use. Setting the edges 31, 32, 33, 34 of the plasticlayer 30 back from the edges 21, 22, 23, 24 of the base body 20 of thecard is also a very effective way of preventing the plastic layer 30that is welded or laminated to the card base body 20 from coming loosefrom the card base body 20.

The plastic layer 30 can be printed on the side facing the base body 20or on the side facing away from it. It can also be provided, however,merely as protection for the previously printed card base body 20.

The plastic layer 30 and the card base body 20 are welded together toprevent the plastic layer 30 from coming loose from the card base body20.

1. A card comprising a base body and a plastic layer welded to the basebody, the plastic layer having at least one boundary edge that is setback from an edge of the base body, and further having projections,which terminate flush with the edge of the base body after welding hastaken place, wherein the base body and the plastic layer each have arectangular shape, the edges of the rectangle of the plastic layer areset back from the edges of the rectangle of the base body, at least twoof the projections being provided on each side edge of the plasticlayer, wherein the projections have a rounded shape so that theprojections each terminate at a single point with the edge of the basebody.
 2. The card according to claim 1, wherein the plastic layer isprinted on a side facing the base body.
 3. The card according to claim1, wherein the plastic layer is printed on a side facing away from thebase body.
 4. The card according to claim 1, wherein the base body andthe plastic layer have rounded corners.